Did I Love You?
by upinmyownclouds
Summary: Sakura decides to give Naruto a chance, but she cannot stop her feelings for the dark haired Uchiha. Naruto in a fit of jealousy attacks Sasuke who loses his memory. He is taken by ANBU and brought back to the village. Sakura must help him recapture his memory and figure out who she wants. Does Sasuke love her, and more importantly will she want him to after learning the truth?
1. Chapter 1

Whether it was the buzz of the alcohol or the thick haze of exhaustion that clouded my judgment I did not know. All I did know was that I did not object when his hand slide up my thigh or when his tongue explored the inside of my mouth. I had always dreamed of sharing this moment with a certain dark haired Uchiha, but those dreams had been shattered long ago. Blaring static was roaring in my ears as he placed a string of kisses along the soft curve of my neck leaving my skin burning with excitement. In the dimly lit bar in the land of water no one recognized us or even cared to, we were just young shinobi finding some comfort in a time of war and death. His large calloused hands skirted around the hem of my shirt, tugging impatiently. He groaned inwardly as he was rewarded with the soft skin of my abdomen. His other hand was busy wrapping itself in my pink tresses tugging me towards him as if to devour me whole.

I followed suit running my fingers along his well developed form and raking my nails lightly down his back. I grinned as I saw his normally baby blue eyes turn to a very dangerous shade of red, this certainly was going to be an interesting experience. The hunger behind those eyes was so intense and animalistic that just the mere look made a shiver run down my spine. I did not even have time to react as Naruto threw a fistful of money on the table and scooped me up out of the bar. I clung to his shoulders in surprise.

"Where are you taking me?" my voice was quiet completely blown away by Naruto's sudden surge in self confidence. He tightened his grip on me slightly and gave me his infamous grin as he tore through the town.

"Back to my room so I can ravish you of course," the words made me smile in excitement. We were not due back at the village until the next night, we had plenty of time to entertain ourselves. It did not take us long to get to the room we had rented for the duration of our mission. As soon as we were through the walkway Naruto tossed me on the bed following right behind. Suddenly Naruto's hands were everywhere leaving my wanting more wherever his hands touched. I picked my head up nicking playfully at his neck, the smell of morning dew and burnt firewood was one I had grown quite fond of over the years. Looking to press my luck I swung a leg over to get on top of him, but his leg held mine down firmly in place and he used one hand to pin my arms above my head. He went in for a kiss, but caught my bottom lip between his teeth biting down. I got the message, he was the dominant one. I hated it, but the thought of Naruto claiming me made my body buzz in anticipation.

His free hand yanked hard at the zipper on my jacket nearly tearing it in two. My tank top followed soon after discarded in a distant corner of the room. His finger traced the outline of my black lace bra I bit back a moan as his fingers explored the rough material. Last Christmas Ino had given me a pair of black lack bra and thong as a 'present', I think it was her way of say I needed to spice up my nightwear. She winked at me and told me it was for those 'special' occasions. I had never in a thousand years that imagines that it would be in bed with Naruto Uzumaki. His deep, throaty growl brought my attention back to the present. My breath hitched as I felt his hand slowly creep up my thigh, the nerves began to set it.

"Naruto...it's...it's my first time. Please be careful," he loomed over my raking his eyes over my face is if studying the moment to remember later. He leaned his forehead against mine as his fingers gingerly pushed the lace of the thong aside.

"Mine too, Sakura. I would never do anything to hurt you, I promise," then his fingers were inside of me moving at a maddeningly slow rhythm. I nearly cried out from pleasure as his thumb brushed slightly against my clit. His free hand worked at the clasp of my bra, it took him no time to undo the clasps and slowly peel it off of me. His eyes were focused on my breasts as his breathing became labored. I did not object as his hands explored my breasts tugging and massaging, I had never imagined it would feel so good. I hardly believed my eyes as I watched the talented ninja descend to my right breast and eagerly take it into his mouth. I moaned as his tongue slid along the rosy peak, between that and his other hand I was being driven insane with want. I threw my head back in ecstasy as Naruto inserted another finger in me. My muscles tensed so powerfully that for a minute I thought I was going to explode, but then he began to slow down. A new look crossed over his face, on I did not recognize. I did not want him to stop, but my pride kept me from begging. Had I done something wrong?

"Can I taste you Sakura?" My mouth ran dry, surely he did not mean what I thought he was referring to...did he? Curiosity got the better of me as I slowly nodded. I did not move as his muscular form slid further down still coming to rest at my hips leaving a trail of hot kisses in his path. I guess this was what he intended my heart skipped a beat. I was frozen as his tongue gently slid over my clit, I could not contain the moan that fell from my lips. I could feel Naruto smirk...bastard. It didn't take him long to get comfortable as his tongue explored more bravely. His right hand reached up to massage my breast roughly as his tongue worked faster, my moans started coming faster. I reached down and grabbed a fistful of Naruto's hair pulling the shinobi back to my lips for a quick kiss.

"Your lips are so sweet," his eyes darkened over with lust as he pulled away from me. A wave of disappointment hit me as I thought he had a sudden change of heart. Although to my delight he had just stood up so he could remove his clothes. I was stunned as my eyes took in his exposed form, he looked like he had been chiseled from marble. Sure I had seen him seminaked before, but not when I was laying on a bed below him naked and wanting. My eyes drifted lower to find his member perfectly erect, it seemed I had underestimated the annoying ninja. He was well endowed to say the least. If it was even possible I got more wet as I thought about how it would feel to have him inside of me. I flipped over and crawled over to the edge of the bed where Naruto stood. I enjoyed the look of pure bliss on Naruto's face as I wrapped one tiny hand around his shaft. I could not even wrap my hand all of the way around it. He gasped and leaned towards me silently begging for more. As I was stroking him a devious idea popped into my mind. I took my tongue and ran it along the tip. His eyes immediately shot open and watched me taking in as much of him as I possibly could. His eyes once again flashed that dangerous shade of red as I gagged when he hit the back of my throat.

"I can't wait anymore," his words were merely a growl as he threw me back onto the bed. I inhaled deeply I knew it was going to hurt, but I knew the pain would not last forever. Naruto pressed a kiss against my forehead reassuringly as he took a hand and guided himself to my entrance.

"It's okay Naruto go ahead and take me," I whispered as I nipped his ear. I did not have to tell him twice as he shoved himself inside of me in one thrust. The pain felt as though I was being ripped in two, it was a hot, burning sensation that spread with every movement. He stilled as I shifted my hips upwards and wrapped my legs around him. After a few moments the pain lessened and I nodded for him to continue. It still hurt as I bit my lip, but eventually a wave of pleasure took over and left me moving my hips in time to meet my thrusts. As for Naruto I had never seen him in such a frenzy he pounded into me harder than seemed to be humanly possible. His hands on my thighs had already begun to leave bruises, but I did not mind. He bit down hard on my neck as he kept up his pace, I knew he was marking me as his.

"You are mine now Sakura," the power of the pleasure was too much for me to argue with him so I simply moaned in return. I guess I just traded one monster in turn for another. I could feel something building in my stomach as Naruto pulled at my hair pressing kisses against my neck.

"Naruto I think I'm going to-," I did not even get to finish my sentence as an overwhelming of wave of pleasure wracked my body, causing my muscles to contract. My toes curled as my vision was overtaken by stars. I heard Naruto growl as I presumably brought him over the edge with me. He kissed me again sloppier this time as he slowed down his pace, before stopping altogether. He collapsed next to me. We were both sweaty, struggling to catch our breath.

"Sakura are you alright?" Naruto turned towards me and gently brought my face up to meet his. could not keep the smile that was making its way to my face.

"Of course Naruto, thank you," I did not say much else as I snuggled against his chest and fell asleep. He was so warm and inviting it was difficult to stay awake. I thought I heard him murmur something else, but I was too tired to recall. When the morning sun fought its way through the curtain, I slowly opened my eyes to be met with a raging headache. I knew I shouldn't of drank so much last night. Damn! I went to bring my hand up to run it through my hair, but it was pinned down by something. I turned over to see Naruto sleeping soundly next to me...suddenly the memories of the night before came rushing back in. My entire body ached making I ran a finger gently down the side of his face, careful not to wake him up. He was a far cry from what I wanted, but right now he was what I needed. Deep down I knew it wasn't fair, yet something in me did not want to let him go so easily. His nose wrinkled slightly as his ice blue eyes opened to meet mine, they were not the brown ones I was wishing to wake up to. When his lips pressed against my cheek, I could not help but want them to belong to someone else.

Reviews are appreciated as always :)


	2. Chapter 2

When his hands touched me, I would close my eyes and pretend that they belonged to another. He was not what I wanted, but for right now he was what I needed. He did not speak much, then yet again neither did I on those nights. The soft moans that escaped my lips and his breathless groans were enough to fill the silence around us. I tried to tell myself it was wrong, I tried to stop it more times than I could count, but in the end I was lost to those calloused hands and rose petal lips. He would whisper sweet nothings in my ear as we lay entangled beneath the moonlight. His constant profession of love should have filled the void in my chest, but if anything it just made it deeper. I, of course, responded in turn, but I knew the words were simply an automated response, nothing more. When I was younger how I would've loved to hear those words fall from a certain ninja's lips, yet now they just left me feeling empty. I grinned as his hands would wrap around my throat and pull me down with him, physical love was the only one I understood anymore.

He was a mystery, not the one I wanted to solve, but it distracted me well enough. Perhaps I think a piece of him knew that I could not love him the way he wanted, although another piece of him was too stubborn to care. I could not blame him for being greedy, I was as well. I let him do what he wanted to me, and for him that was enough. I told him not to confuse sex with love, but he fell asleep curled up against me nonetheless. For me I would lay awake for hours trying to determine just what it was I felt for the boy that had given me himself so completely and perfectly. I hated myself in those moments when I would watch his nose crinkle in such a cute fashion, yet could not conjure up any emotion for the ninja. Deep down in my bones I knew I was afraid of him, but it was not fear that compelled me to taste his lips, it was something else that I did not yet understand. I noticed how the others watched me from afar, I was not blind to the developments my body had been through over the years. Sometimes I liked to tease them, give them a taste, it would make him mad, but I did not belong to him. I laughed as the other girls shot me a look of jealousy, somehow I could not find it in myself to care much anymore.

 _Foxes mate for life,_ the words seemed to echo endlessly around in my mind even after I left the comfortable shelter of the library far behind me. During the cold winter nights I found such a hunger in those red eyes as he greedily took in my form. I should of ran and forgotten the blonde haired ninja, but he was all I had and he knew it. The Naruto I had known and loved was far gone, replaced by a jealous, overbearing demon. Although I found more comfort in his embrace than I had before, maybe I wanted this. There were some nights I would lock my door with watery eyes, but even then I could sense his presence on the other side of the thin oak door, waiting. On the other nights I would seek him out and crash my lips against his begging him to take me. He was a drug and the more I took the more I feared for my life, yet the more I wanted. It was a confusing circle of lust and power that every day only seemed to become more complex. The others noticed our new found relationship, but they did not question it, almost as if it was expected. Perhaps, they learned better than to ask questions after Naruto broke Lee's jaw when he tried to kiss me several weeks ago. The jinchuriki had grown more powerful than an of us could have anticipated, we all feared him, he had given in to the demon within.

This particular winter night was no different as I sat huddled on the same cement bench that Sasuke had left me on all those years ago. Sometimes when the air whipped through the trees at the right angle I swear the smell of his cologne would drift into my consciousness reminding me of a different time. A time when I spent my days longing after a man that would never love me while his best friend that would chase me around like a lovesick puppy.

"I was looking for you, I was waiting outside of the hospital door," my mouth ran dry as I turned to find Naruto hanging upside down from a nearby tree. His blue eyes, those beautifully innocent eyes, took in my shivering form.

"I am sorry Naruto, I am just not feeling well tonight," a look of concern crossed his handsome features. He leaped down from the branch and was placing his hand on my cheek before I could react. It was not only his strength that seemed to increase, but his speed as well making him a dangerous combination. His hot breath made me want to lean down and capture his lips in mine, but I resisted the urge.

"You are freezing, Sakura. You need to get warm. I think I have a way to help," I hissed in pleasure as his right hand twisted its way underneath my jacket spreading warmth wherever he touched. It wasn't until I heard someone clearing their voice that I realized we had an audience. I quickly broke away from Naruto pushing him as far away from him as I could get. I was hoping the blush on my cheeks could easily pass as just a reaction to the cold air. Kakashi sat on the bench staring up at the stars feigning ignorance as to what was going on before him and for that I was grateful.

"I apologize for interrupting you two, but there have been some recent developments that Lady Tsunade would like to discuss with us," Kakashi's velvet voice brought my mind back to the present. My blood ran cold, something was wrong. It was unlike the Hokage to be working so late, this had to be extremely important, and that alone just made me even more nervous. There were only a handful of subjects that I could think of that would have her up so late, and I dreaded each and every one of them.

"Naruto go ahead, Sai and Yamato are already speaking with her. There is something I wish to discuss with Sakura," Naruto tensed visibly as his eyes bore a hole into the hand Kakashi had placed upon my shoulder. Following his line of sight Kakashi quickly dropped his hand and raised them in a nonthreatening manner. It seemed it did not matter who touched me, all that Naruto cared about was that they were male.

"Five minutes," that was all Naruto said as he disappeared in the direction of the Hokage's office. Kakashi waited several seconds after Naruto left before he opened his mouth to speak. I already had a feeling I knew what was going to come out of his mouth.

"You are a smart girl, Sakura, more so than I think most people give you credit for. I know how you feel about Sasuke," I dropped my eyes to the ground, "I am not judging you, but I know even you have seen this change in Naruto. He is becoming dangerous, perhaps even more so than Sasuke is. His seal is dangerously loose and there is no way he is going to allow us to tighten it now. Lady Tsunade has received some information about Sasuke's movements, but this is a two part mission. The first part of course will be to capture Sasuke and bring him back here for interrogation, the second part will be to render Naruto unconscious in order to allow us to tighten his seal. You are the only one he is going to allow close enough," Kakashi stretched a hand out to me and I found a syringe staring back filled with some sort of green liquid. I reached out with a shaking hand, it was uncommonly cold in my palm.

"I will not do anything that will hurt Naruto," Kakashi nodded in understanding as I spoke, "I still have feelings for Sasuke and I think I always will. I have to move on and be realistic, Naruto saved me, sensei. I hope to one day love him as much as he does me," he placed a hand on my shoulder once again and lifted my chin so he could see my eyes.

"If you choose to love Naruto, then love Naruto, not this thing he is becoming. Sasuke is not the only teammate we have to save Sakura. Go home get some rest, I will fill you in tomorrow morning before we leave," then he too was gone leaving me alone in the darkness of the winter. The only light was the flickering street lamp on the corner that illuminated the syringe in my hand. I knew Kakashi was right, this was not the Naruto I knew, but a nagging voice would not leave me alone. What if this is how Naruto truly was? He was so intense, affectionate, powerful, he was everything a Hokage was supposed to embody. His touch still lingered on my skin, I did not want to lose this Naruto, he made me feel alive. My hands had begun to turn white from the cold as I unscrewed the top of the syringe and poured out the contents on the ground. I grabbed a green vile from my pouch, the same lime shade as the previous drug, with a deep breath I poured the liquid into the syringe. Kakashi please forgive me, but no one was taking Naruto away from me. I tucked the syringe back safely into my pouch before turning in the direction of my house.

Reviews are always welcomed :)


	3. Chapter 3

The sound of shattering glass abruptly ended the lust filled dream that I had lost myself too. I shot out of bed to find the star of my obsession staring at me with red eyes. He sat on the balcony like an animal perched patiently waiting for his prey to stir. My cheeks were still flushed from the naughty thoughts that had just occupied my mind, and my legs were weak from the loss of adrenaline. His nostrils flared and I knew he could smell it, the sweet nectar that began to run down my leg. I needed him so badly in that moment I could not speak, but I knew he could see it displayed perfectly on my face. Perhaps if I was not so lost in lust I could see that there was something different about this Naruto, perhaps I would've known that he was not going to make it entirely pleasurable for me this time. Faster than I could see Naruto threw me hard against the opposing wall with such force that the pictures on the wall shook. His mouth greedily took mine in his own, my breath hitched as I felt his canines meet my lips. I barely noticed the blood that spilt from my lips, the sweet metallic taste only seemed to heighten his intensity. His hand dipped beneath my silk night gown and smirked at what he found.

"You are so wet for me Sakura and I have not even done anything to you yet," he pulled away as I leaned in for another kiss, "but this time will be different Sakura, this time I am going to teach you who you belong to," it was then I saw the bits of rope that hung from Naruto's hand. A sense of panic filled my senses as he dragged me to the bed by my hair, I did not fight back as he threw me onto the bed and tied my hands and feet to the four posters of the bed.

"Please Naruto what are you doing?" He paused briefly as he tied my hands up, I could already feel myself losing circulation in my fingertips.

"You do not belong to Sasuke, tomorrow I will make him realize that. Although tonight," he leaned down and nipped at my earlobe, "I am going to make you realize it," I trembled as his voice sent shivers up and down my spine. The rope Naruto had brought with him was infused with his own chakra that prevented me from using mine, it appeared that he was not going to let me participate. With all the quickness of a fox he turned the lights out and lit the candles beside my bed. I laid patiently waiting for him to take off his clothes, but he made no move to do so. I strained against the ropes impatiently my core was on fire, I bit my lip in an attempt to keep myself from begging. His fingers wound themselves into my hair and he pulled my head to the side so hard my neck cracked. I was going to open my mouth to object when his hot tongue licked a trail up the side, placing tantalizing kisses along my collarbone.

Then his teeth sunk hard into my neck, this time I could feel the trail of blood that trickled down onto the silk sheets. I opened my mouth to object when his other hand slid into me, first inserting two fingers, then three. His mouth then trailed down to my right breast, he rolled my nipple back and forth between his teeth. My head was starting to spin as I brought up my hips up to meet his thrusts, I was seeing stars. My muscles tightened in preparation, I was so close to the edge, then suddenly he pulled his hand away and bit my breast hard as well. He was marking me, and I knew there was little I could do to stop it.

The cold wind from the broken window whipped through the room, noticing my shivering Naruto smirked and slowly removed his own jumpsuit from his body and climbed on top of me. I gasped in surprise as I felt his manhood press against me, not enough to go in, but just enough to tease. I gritted my teeth in frustration, and fought against the restraints...he was driving me mad. He once again captured his mouth with my own, his tongue explored my mouth taking the breath from me or so it seemed. He slid down my body biting slowly as he went sucking and biting the flesh that laid in his wake, no doubt bruising a trail straight down to where he wanted to be. His tongue gently brushed against my clit, as I jolted with pleasure. He licked again slower this time, I bucked my hips up as much as I could and he obliged. He kept a steady pace, reaching a hand up to fondle my breasts in time with his talented tongue. I was seeing stars as he continued to pleasure me, then I felt the familiar tightening of my core as I was about to explode.

Then he stopped again and bit my inner thigh hard first the right, then the left. He looked up at me from between my thighs and I could see the crazed look in his eyes, his face a mess of my juices and blood, I would be damned if it didn't turn me on more. The biting hurt, but the look on his face was a reward enough. I frowned in frustration, I had to cum, my body was yearning for it so much that it began to physically hurt. I cried out in disbelief as Naruto completely withdrew from me leaving me a trembling mess on the bed. He paced around the bed taking in my naked form with every step, almost as if he was debating what to do next. My throat clenched as I saw him pick up a piece of glass that was lying on the floor, the way he looked at the sharp shard made me want to run in fear.

"Yes she is ours," ours? I had no idea who Naruto was talking about, but I was too far gone in pleasure to care much about what he said. My eyes followed him closely as he made his way back over to me. He gracefully crawled into the bed, looming over me in a rather intimidating fashion. My breath hitched as he placed the glass against my stomach, as scared as I was I could still only think about him being inside of me and a piece of me hated him for that.

"Naruto, please I can't take this much more, I need you," his eyes met mine, "just you," I hoped the words came as some sort of comfort to him. I tensed up when I felt his manhood press against me once more, but this time he did not stop. Well that was until he was all of the way inside me, once again stretching me out until I thought I was going to tear in half.

"You say it now Sakura, but when I'm done with you, you are going to be screaming it," it was a challenge I was all too eager to accept. Then he fucked me like an animal, his pace was so violent that I did not even have the strength to meet his thrusts he was pinning me down too hard. With each movement I could feel my muscles clamping down on his cock, threatening to bring us both over the edge. I was so far gone in pleasure that I did not feel his hand with the glass slowly drag across my stomach, well that was until he pressed it hard into me and began to move the shard. His right hand came to rest against my mouth as a scream bubbled in my throat. He did not relent from his savage pace, yet his hand did not slow either craving a symbol into my flesh. The pain was blinding, although to my surprise it seemed to only heighten my pleasure.

Then he threw the glass shard into a dark corner of the room and his right hand slid from my mouth to my throat and tightened to the point that I could not breathe. In response my vaginal muscles tightened, I smiled as I saw Naruto's eyes roll into the back of his head. The blood from my stomach was warm as it dripped between my thighs. Black dots began to spot my vision as his hand refused to leave my throat, then I felt a buildup so strong that I was powerless to stop it. His hand disappeared from my throat the feeling of him inside of me and the sudden adrenaline from actually being able to breathe sent me over the edge. With all the power he had inside of himself he slammed into me one final time before he too came. My body shuddered in pleasure as he withdrew from me and began licking the wounds he had made.

"You are so perfect now, Sakura, he will see now that you are mine," my head felt heavy, but I managed to pick up my head and vaguely make out the uzumaki clan symbol carved into my stomach before the world went black. It was a blissful sleep, the kind without dreams just a deep sense of relaxation and rest.

When the early morning rays of the sun fought through the blinds, I found myself nearly blinded as I opened up my eyes. Then the pain started, everything hurt, there was not a part of me that was spared. To my surprise the ropes around my arms and legs had been removed, I was in a fresh gown, and my hair felt as if I had been bathed. A smile found its way to my face, it seemed Naruto took great care of me after I passed out, then again it was his fault for putting me in such a state. I knew that I could not put the blame solely on him, I wanted it just as much. I knew hearing the news about Sasuke would send him over the edge, but I never could've imagined how protective he would be. I slowly lifted the edge of my nightgown first inspecting the bite marks on my inner thighs. They had begun to bruise already, I wanted to feel a sense of disgust at the sight, but all I could see was passion. I lifted the soft material higher to find that the clan symbol was not a figment of my imagination, he had carved his clan symbol into my stomach. This was not a mark of passion, this was a mark of ownership. It appeared he had healed the flesh to prevent injury, what remained was a scar that would last me a lifetime. A sudden knock at the door brought me out of my morning daze.

"Sakura," Kakashi's voice rang out, "we will be leaving the village in an hour. Sai, Yamato, Naruto, and myself are going to get some ramen before the mission. Feel free to join us if you wish," I suppose he had no idea what had taken place last night.

"Of course, Kakashi-sensei. Just let me get dressed and I will be down shortly," I waited until I heard him head back down the hallway that I got out of bed. I nearly collapsed from the soreness in my limbs, it was almost overwhelming. I gritted my teeth and made my way to the bathroom, to find an unfamiliar sight staring back in the mirror. I was still the same person to be sure, but my neck was covered in bruises from the bite marks, a trailed of hickeys led down my breasts, and I shuddered to think of the mark underneath my nightgown. There was no denying that I looked as though I belonged to Naruto, but surely had to know that this alone would not make me his. I traced the marks and a strange sense of peace filled me, then again perhaps I was his and just didn't know it yet. If he was capable of doing this to me, then I shuddered to think of what lay ahead for Sasuke Uchiha.


	4. Chapter 4

_I love Sasuke…._ I repeated the mantra over and over again in my head as I made my way down the winding roads to the ramen shop. I had spent so many years fawning over the dark haired Uchiha that I suppose in a way it felt weird not to associate him with love. Although the words did not bring the elation to me that they usually did, instead a different ninja came to my mind. Naruto. I did not love him, I knew better than to associate sex with love, but I cared for him greatly. I suppose in a way he loved me more than anyone else ever had, he had protected me countless times even from Sasuke. I shuddered, that was not a memory that I liked reliving.

I could sense him before I even pushed my way through the thin curtains protecting Ramen Ichirakum from the harsh winter tearing through the village. My hand trembled slightly as I pulled back the thin fabric, I told myself it was from the cold, but I knew it more likely had something to do with the jinchuriki sitting at the far end of the bar. I plastered a fake smile on my face as the members of my team greeted me with warming smiles.

"I am happy that you came to join us, Sakura, I was worried that you were not feeling well," I shrugged off Yamato's slightly probing statement and made my way over to the only available seat. I have no doubt Naruto purposely made sure that the seat between him and Sai was open.

"I'm sorry to worry you, Captain Yamato. I had a hard time sleeping last night," I could practically feel Naruto tense at my words, "nerves I guess about today," a chill ran up my spine as I thought about the real reason I had not slept. I fought the blush that crept up to my cheeks the owner of the ramen shop placed a heaping bowl of ramen before me. The only thing keeping my teeth from chattering was the warmth coming from the bowl of ramen before me.

I did not move when I felt Naruto's hand rest at the top of my thigh, lovingly stroking the bite mark he had made just a few hours ago. From their position at the table the rest of our team could not see the blonde-haired ninja's subtle mark of ownership. I was thankful for the cold weather, it gave me the opportunity to wear a high collared jacket without anyone thinking it was strange. My mind was racing so quickly that everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. Naruto was so focused on his bowl of ramen that he did not notice the pointed look Kakashi-sensei shot towards me as he was breaking down the mission strategy.

"We have gathered reliable information that Sasuke has set up shop in a remote mountain range, just outside of the land of iron. He is said to be building quite a formidable team in order to bring down the leaf village. Our mission is of course to capture Sasuke and bring him back here to be interrogated, but before we can do that we will need to map out our strategy. Our source of information was relatively unable to provide any detailed information about the exact setup of the headquarters, or who Sasuke has been able to persuade to his side," I knew better than to ask, but I had to wonder who would have such personal information on Sasuke, it had to be someone who was on his side at some point. Naruto's voice caused me to nearly drop the spoon I had been holding.

"So, you are telling me essentially we are going in blind to the situation?" Yamato cast a skeptical glance towards Naruto, he was usually so willing to jump into the mission that I too was shocked. I suppose though he did have a point, it seemed as though we had no idea what would be meeting us.

"Unfortunately, we do not have another option, there is no telling how long Sasuke is going to be there and we cannot miss out on this opportunity. Tsunade is putting a great amount of trust in us to complete this mission," I reached my hand under the table and took Naruto's hand in mine and squeezed reassuringly. I could see some tension leave Kakashi's shoulders as Naruto settled back down into this seat.

"When we get closer to the mission site, we will stop and come up with our strategy. I am not going to lie this is going to be a dangerous mission, but sometimes a ninja has to take a great risk for an even greater reward. Sasuke presents one of the largest threats to the village at this point in time and no matter our feelings towards him, we must eliminate him as a threat," my blood ran cold as Captain Yamato's commanding voice echoed off of the walls of the small hut.

"We are not here to hurt, Sasuke. This was not the mission I was brought here to do, Captain Yamato. Kakashi-sensei made it clear to me that the mission is to capture Sasuke and bring him back to the village for interrogation. There was never any mention of eliminating him as a threat," I stared pointedly at Yamato who just flickered his gaze to Kakashi and bumped his shoulder. The owner of the shop had no doubt crept back into the back as our words became increasingly angry.

"That was what I said Sakura, but this is going to be difficult. Sasuke is a very unpredictable opponent, the goal is to bring Sasuke back here unharmed, but as you know anything in the field can happen. He will not hold anything back and neither can we," I gripped the table so hard that the wood began to splinter and crack.

"How can you have so much passion for someone who tried to kill you Sakura?" I was so angry in that second that I tightened my grip on the splintered table and threw it in the direction of the monotone voice of Sai. Faster than I thought possible wood roots emerged from the ground, and grabbed the table out of midair and planted it back onto the ground. Damn Yamato. Sai's usually unexpressive face had surprise written all over it.

"That is enough Sakura," Kakashi grabbed me by the wrist and tore me out of Naruto's grasp. I did not fight him as he all but dragged me out of the cottage. As soon as my hand was out of Naruto's I felt all of the anger leave my body, leaving me gasping for breath.

"Sakura, calm down. Naruto's nine tail chakra was manipulating you, you need to breathe," for a second black spots began to dot my vision as I struggled to get enough oxygen into my lungs.

"I am sorry Sensei, I couldn't control myself," he draped one of my arms over his shoulder and began taking off in the direction of the hospital wing.

"Yamato will settle Naruto down, no doubt he had no idea he was even doing it. Just focus on breathing Sakura and listen. Naruto is becoming unstable by the moment and we are running out of time. I would have liked and waited to come up with a strategy for dealing with Sasuke, but the other half of our mission has to be carried out as soon as we are able. Yamato and I have spent hours trying to come up with the best possible plan for success. We believe our best bet will be to find Sasuke and allow us to fight his accomplices while Naruto focuses on Sasuke. When Naruto slips into his nine tails cloak he will be focused slowly on Sasuke, it is then that you must inject Naruto with the serum. If it is done at any other point the nine-tailed demon will be able to figure out what is going on. His anger will be our advantage, hopefully it will distract Sasuke enough to let me subdue him," it was the most logical approach, but there were so many unknown variables that it left me with a sour taste in my mouth. My mind finally began to slow down and I slowly unwrapped my arm from around the copy ninja's neck.

"If any part of this plan goes awry, we are going to have to adapt to the situation," he nodded, "but I will not hurt either of them," Kakashi grabbed my gently by the back of my head and leaned his forehead against mine. The intimate gesture took me by surprise.

"I never wanted to be a teacher, Sakura, but I could not ask for a better team by my side. They need us, more so than they want to admit. No matter what we go through we will always be a team," his words brought back into my mind a simpler time. I could not help the uncontrollable tears that began to stream down my face.

"It hurts so much, Sensei, to see them like this," he let his hand fall back to his side and stared off into the rising sun.

"Use it Sakura, use that pain and hurt to become a stronger shinobi. The world, I am afraid, depends on it," I nodded in understanding, "now for the toughest battle of our lives," I could not help but meet the smile on the copy ninja's face as he threw me thumbs up. I took a deep breath and stared into the woods, our mission was about to begin.

I followed him wordlessly as we made our way to the front gates of the village. By the time we arrived Yamato, Sai, and a determined looking Naruto were exchanging pleasantries with the Hokage who had come to see us off.

"There they are," I heard Yamato yell as we rounded the final corner, I could see Naruto's eyes flash towards me for a second.

"Somehow, I am not surprised Kakashi is late," Tsuande laughed, "but Sakura for a student of mine tardiness is not permitted," I bowed in apology and shared a small smile with my teacher.

"We have our beginning strategy mapped out, we will do the best we can to succeed no matter the cost," I was surprised at how formal Kakashi sounded, but I suppose it was an important mission that had to be handled with care.

"I trust that you have all been briefed with the risks of a mission such as this," we all nodded in agreement, "I am sending you all out with some serious second thoughts. The last time I did this I lost a dear friend," Naruto seemed to flinch at her subtle mission of Jiraiya, "come back to the village we need you all desperately. Good luck," her icy blue eyes landed on me, "be safe," we all bowed in respect then leaped into the trees. It was a week trip just to get to the fortress, but it would be a miracle if we all didn't kill each other by then. Naruto and I hung back slightly from the others, just out of ear shot.

"I am sorry for earlier in the hut, Sakura, Kurama is difficult to control at times," I was surprised by his admission, he never usually admitted a weakness.

"It is alright Naruto, no one got hurt. Maybe you should let someone look at the seal and make sure it is still functioning correctly," I knew I had overstepped my bounds when Naruto shot me a dark glare.

"No one is taking this power away from me, but do not worry I will not harm you Sakura. I wouldn't hurt what is mine," I bristled in annoyance at his arrogance, it was so uncharacteristic.

"Let us hope it is enough subdue Sasuke," I bit my tongue to avoid yelling in surprise as Naruto grabbed me by the throat and pinned me against the closest tree. I suppose the others were too far ahead and distracted by their own thoughts to notice.

"I am able to do more than subdue him Sakura, I prefer not to kill him, but if he thinks about making any kind of claim over you then I don't have much of a choice. He has been a friend to us both, but nothing on earth is going to take you from me," I did not have time to react as Naruto crushed his lips against mine, a strange warmth enveloped me. He withdrew quickly and took off in the direction that the rest of our team. I looked up to see the Uzumaki symbol disappear into the woods with all the stealth of a fox.

Reviews are always appreciated! Can't wait till the next chapter ;)


	5. Chapter 5

The fire provided the only warmth from an otherwise frigid night. It crackled hungrily as the wind roared through the trees, seemingly in effort to suppress its warmth. My eyes shifted to the layers of dirt towards the bottom of the roaring fire. Yamato's battle plan that he had so carefully laid out in the layers of dirt was no half covered by the wind's continuous rampage. Tomorrow was the day that we would finally confront Sasuke. There would've been a time that seeing the dark haired Uchiha would have made me giggle in excitement, but now all I felt was a deep sense of dread. The plan the two jounin ninjas had made seemed solid enough, but I had been in enough battles to know that nothing ever went according to the plan. In truth, we had no idea what Sasuke was capable of anymore, or Naruto for that matter. Sai's sudden hand on my shoulder snapped me out of whatever world I had gotten lost in.

"I am sorry to disturb you, but it is time for your shift," I nodded in understanding. I could see the dark circle that had begun to form under Sai's dark eyes. We had to all be at full strength tomorrow if we were going to have a chance at being successful.

"Go get some rest Sai," I heaved myself up from the make-shift bed I had put together. The moon was nearly full tonight casting an unearthly glow on the land around us. From the corner of my eye I could see Kakashi up in a tall oak free his head tilted slightly downwards. If someone glanced at the ninja they would think he was still awake, but I could tell by the slight slump in his shoulders he was fast asleep. Yamato was near the base of the same tree leaning up against its bark, he had fashioned himself a blanket from his wood jutsu which doubled as armor. A sense of unease hit me as I scanned the perimeter, Naruto was nowhere in sight.

"I have not been able to find Naruto, I assume he is taking some time on his own," I knew that he was planning something, "Sakura, Kakashi told me about what he wants you to do. I know I have not known you two as long as Sasuke, but if you cannot take Naruto down…I will," I did not know if he meant the words to be a sense of comfort or a threat, but either way I knew he was serious.

"I suggest not talking about it when he could be in earshot Sai," he nodded and brushed past me in the direction of a nearby stream. Sai was still very much a mystery, and I was not sure it was one that I wanted to solve. I took off in the direction of the cliff, but as I approached the rocky formation the air around me seemed to change. The wind whipped through my hair, sending the pink tresses flying through the air. I took a few tentative steps towards the precipice of the cliff, just enough so that I could see the waves crashing against the rocks below. The sight was something of real beauty, and for just a second I got the urge to jump. As soon as the thought entered my head a pair of strong hands grabbed my arms and yanked me back, hard.

"Sakura, what in the hell are you doing? You could've fall off of the damn cliff," Naruto's oceanic blue eyes cut through me like a knife. He really was growing into quite a fine ninja. His arms encircled my waist and held me tight against his warm body.

"I am sorry, Naruto. I just wanted to look, I didn't realize how close I had gotten to the edge," I brought my hands up ran them through his golden hair, he seemed to lean into the touch. There were a thousand things I wanted to say and ask him, but nothing ever seemed as important when he was here with me.

"We don't want you to get hurt, Sakura. I mean unless of course we are the ones doing it," there was that same thing he had been saying since we left the forest 'we'. He was beginning to accept the ninetails as a part of him more and more as the days passed.

"I am fine, Naruto. Thank you," I tried to ignore the suggestive tone I heard creep up in his voice. I still could not get over the Uzumaki symbol that he had left carved into my skin. I absent mindedly ran my hand over my stomach, his penetrating eyes followed the movement.

"I am sorry, Sakura, but I wanted to make you mine. Kurama told me it was the best way, so if any man ever saw you naked he would know who you belong to," I hated that feeling, I did not want to be owned, "forgive me, Sakura, my jealousy does get the best of me," I wanted to push him away, but not as much as I wanted to hold him close. I did not object as his lips crashed against mine, moving at a memorizing pace. His teeth nipped playfully at my bottom lip as his hands slid underneath my thighs. I gasped in response as he lifted me up, he used the opportunity to slide his tongue inside my mouth, he always tasted so sweet. I could feel his manhood pressed tightly against me, and my stomach knotted in anticipation. It was true, I did not want to be owned, but in these moments, I wanted to be his more than anything else.

"Let me make it up to you, Sakura. Let me show you how much you mean to me," I could only nod in agreement as he laid me down on a stone slab overlooking the ocean. I moaned as he slowly peeled my clothes off, kissing every inch of skin he exposed. It was only when I was laid bare in front of him that he stopped. I opened my eyes to find him staring at me with a look of complete adoration in his eyes, HIS eyes not Kurama's. This was my Naruto, this was the Naruto I wanted.

"If you are just going to stand there I'm going to freeze to death," I joked and with a playful smirk Naruto dropped to his knees and kissed a trail down my stomach.

"Well if that's the case Sakura then I better find a way to warm you up," my smile quickly turned to a moan as his talented tongue delved deep into my folds, while his free hands came up to gently knead my breasts. I arched my hips up towards him in pleasure, as his tongue flickered out to graze my clit. I took my hands and grabbed his powerful shoulders as he teased me. I could feel my orgasm slowly building in the pit of my stomach, I knew he could sense it too. He increased his speed slipping two fingers inside of me at a quick pace while his tongue massaged my clit. His other hand still greedily pulled at my right breast, giving me so many sensations at once, it was impossible to tell them apart.

"Cum for me Sakura," that was all it took, I came hard. All I could hear was the crashing wave against the rocks as my muscles constricted deliciously. When I looked down Naruto was staring back up at me hungrily with my juices still dripping from his lips. It was enough to make me want more. Without a second thought I used my famous strength to grab Naruto by the arm and reverse our positions. I sat crouched above the jinchuriki, my vagina brushed up against his throbbing manhood. I enjoyed the way his face scrunched up as he lifted his hips to try and meet mine. I shifted upwards as he was met with nothing but air.

"Not so fast, buddy, I'm in charge now," I could see the sense of excitement that took over his features. I leaned forward and crashed my lips against his as I slowly lowered my hips so that I could rub against the impatient ninja. His moans were enough to let me know how much he was enjoying this and how badly he wanted more. I decided to oblige him as I lowered myself on to his hard member. He was so thick that it took me a few minutes to adjust to his girth.

"Ride me, Sakura," I did as he asked and shifted my hips upwards as he hit all of the right spots. His hands come up underneath my ass as he lifted me up and down on his cock. His eyes were closed and his head was tilted back in ecstasy. A small feeling of pride began to fill up in my chest. I moved my hips faster and faster with each thrust. He tilted his head up to watch me as I straightened my back and ran my hands over my breasts. His smooth hands pulled harder and harder at my ass as he watched my body moving to please him. Then, with surprising strength, he lifted me up and spun me around so that I was bent over the cliff then thrust into me hard. I could only grab the edge of the rock as he tore into me as though it was for the first time. I could feel my own climax build up as he used one hand to tug hard on my pink hair, and wrapped the other around my throat.

"Tell me who you belong to," I was so lost in the moment, so beside myself in pleasure that my response seemed only natural.

"You, Naruto, I belong to you," then with an unnatural growl Naruto plowed into me one last time before I felt my orgasm hit and his warm cum dripping out of me. I stayed in that position while Naruto retreated, no doubt to grab his clothes. My muscles would not allow me to move quite yet.

"Thank you, Sakura," I smiled as I slowly made my way to my feet and followed suit throwing my discarded clothes back on. I did not know what it was about Naruto that made me want him so bad, but he just seemed like the right choice. Naruto, loved me, he was here, and he would die to protect me.

"Did you enjoy the show?" I thought Naruto was talking to me until I turned around and saw him staring straight into the woods. I jumped back in surprise as Naruto's nine tails cloak suddenly enveloped his entire form.

"Naruto who are you talking to?" I could not make anyone out in the darkness of the woods. Naruto tilted his head to look at me, but all I could see was Kurama's features etched onto his handsome face.

"Sasuke, of course," my blood ran cold surely, he couldn't be in those woods…he just couldn't be.

"You are lying," Naruto held a hand out and gestured towards the trees as a dark figure emerged wrapped in a dark cloak. My mouth ran dry as Sasuke's known accomplices emerged behind the dark figure, what had I done?

"They sensed us as soon as we walked into these woods. The woman," the red head who I recognized from our fight with Danzo, "is a sensory type ninja, she can track and read chakra," Naruto's voice had become a deep growl as the dark figure removed his hood. Sasuke stared back at me, with a look of betrayal and disgust plastered on his face. He did not speak to me, he didn't have to. The look conveyed a thousand words. The second I saw his sharingan activate, I darted back in the direction of camp. I could hear his allies close behind me, as I ran as fast as I could through the uneven terrain. A deep burning anger filled my chest, who was Sasuke to judge my actions? He had thrown me away countless times, and had even tried to kill me…I did not owe him anything. I tightened my fists in anticipation, but had Naruto planned this whole thing? A kunai blade went whizzing past my head, close enough to cut a few hairs. I shook the thoughts out of my head…all that mattered was the mission, and trying to survive the coming storm.


	6. Chapter 6

The blood was roaring in my ears as she struggled underneath me. Her red hair was splayed around her like a bloody halo. I gritted my teeth and leaned over her, silently enjoying the way her eyes filled to the brim with fear. She was the one that now followed Sasuke around like a love sick puppy, it sickened me to think that I was once just as blind as her.

The last time I had seen her had been during the battle against Danzo. Sasuke had shot a surge of chakra straight through her chest. He carelessly had nicked the main artery running through her neck, had it not been for my healing abilities she would have been dead. While his main target had been Danzo, he would not have batted an eye if she had died as a result. He did not care about her, but still she scrambled to his side weak from blood loss. Deep down it was sometimes hard to think that he cared about anything or anyone other than revenge anymore. I tightened the grip I had around her neck when I heard the bushes behind me rustle loudly. I was thankful I had been a few steps ahead of the enemy and had been able to alert my comrades to the danger before they were taken by surprise. I was amazed at how quickly they got to their feet and seemed to immediately react. One thing I did not expect was the sensory ninja to target me right away, sensory ninjas would usually hang back and try to avoid battle at all costs.

Unfortunately for me I failed to dodge the kunai blade she had thrown towards me in time, it managed to sink right into my right thigh as I came down to rest on a thin branch. A grunt escaped from my lips as my weight came down on the leg that now had a silver blade deep in the muscle. It was impossible for me to retain my balance as I went crashing down to the ground. I suppose I should have been thankful that the weakest of the three targeted me. I did not move as I heard her sprint through the branches around me. I did not know much about her, but I knew she was cocky. If I played this situation right, then I could use that to my advantage.

"Sasuke would never like someone as weak as you," I heard the whistle of another blade cut through the air. If my plan was going to work then I could not move, I bit my lip as another kunai sunk into my shoulder. This time the blade was buried to the hilt, the blood that fell from my shoulder was warm. My teeth cut into my upper lip to avoid screaming out in pain, her footsteps were deafening to my ears. I had landed facing away from her so she could not see my face contort into pain. I closed my eyes slowly and focused on my chakra, pushing the force through my body, down my arm, and into my fist.

"That must've been one nasty fall, it's such a shame you can't move," I could tell from the tone in her voice that she was smiling. She was so happy being a puppet, it was pathetic. The wind roared past her approaching form making the blades burn in response. My heart felt as though it was pounding against my chest, as I waited for her to get close enough. A smile found its way on my face as I felt her foot land squarely on my back, finally. I jumped up and threw her foot off of me, and connected my fist with her jaw. The force sent her flying back, but I was not going to give her time to regroup. I followed closely behind and pinned her to the ground, my hand was tight against her throat. She was not physically strong enough to throw me off and we both knew it.

"Sakura, are you alright?" Sai's monotone voice was a welcome surprise in the madness that had ensued following the ambush. I nodded, leaped up, and slammed Karin's body into a nearby tree effectively limiting the small threat she could still impose.

"Let's make sure she isn't going to be leaving here anytime soon," Sai summoned a legion of black snakes that tied around her thin form. I stood back as they wiggled across her midsection, effectively binding her now unconscious form to the tree.

"Where is everyone else?" I called over my shoulder as Sai and I headed back through the trees in the direction we had come. I could hear the sounds of battle, but they were distant and it was hard to tell just what exactly we were going to stumble into.

"Kakashi and Yamato are handling Sasuke's two comrades, Kakashi wanted me to find you and set out to find Naruto. We are going to need to tighten his seal and quickly," Sai's voice jolted me back to the present. A feeling of dread filled my bones as I thought about leaving the two jounin level ninjas alone.

"What if they need our help, Sai?" he shook his head and pushed me in the direction I had last seen Naruto and Sasuke disappear off to. I knew it was shinobi tradition to fulfill the goal of the mission at all cost, but that does not mean that I liked it.

"We cannot lose sight of our mission. We are to tighten Naruto's seal and capture Sasuke at any cost. Captain Yamato has the cells from the first hokage, and Kakashi has the sharingan, they are not helpless ninja," I opened my mouth to argue, but stopped short when we came back to the cliff that Naruto and Sasuke has occupied moments before. The entire area had been obliterated, the ground itself had been scorched by something extremely powerful. This was not good. We had to find the two of them and fast.

"Sai we need eyes in the sky," he made a flurry of arm movements and in a flash a large bird appeared before us. The iconic white and black ink of Sai's artwork beckoned us forth with its large wings. We climbed on its back and took off following the path of burnt earth. The view of the woods was breathtakingly beautiful, and I silently wished things were as peaceful as they looked from above. It didn't take us long to spot the two ninja battling their hearts out just twenty miles from where they had started. Sasuke had activated his susano, but my breath caught when I saw Naruto. He was a mass of red chakra, fox like in form, with four tails that emerged from his back. Things were far worse than I had realized, I had never imagined that Naruto would lose control of himself so completely.

"We are going to need to be careful, Sakura. This is a very volatile situation, our only advantage is going to be surprise. Naruto is going to need to be subdued, before we can safely handle Sasuke. Naruto has nearly lost his rational mind he is thinking only about destruction right now. Do you still have that vial that Kakashi gave you?" my blood ran cold, I could never have imagined things would have escalated to this level. I reached into my bag for the green vial, but the contents of which were not going to be strong enough to have an effect on the half turned jinchuriki.

"It is not going to work, Sai. We need another plan, this is not going to be enough to knock Naruto out," he looked at me out of the corner of his eye and narrowed those hollow looking eyes.

"Tsunade made it herself with chakra from the first hokage, but you did something stupid didn't you? Your emotions have endangered us all, Sakura. That was our best shot at completing this mission and now you have sabotaged us," I did not get a chance to respond to Sai because Naruto had already sensed our presence. The tail closest to us came down on the bird Sai had created. We are able to dodge the blow in time, but we were in a free fall. Thinking quickly I bit my thumb and performed a summoning jutsu. Thankfully Sai and I landed on Katsuyu's soft body.

"Oh my Sakura, are you alright?" her soft voice seemed so out of place in the battlefield. Sai was nowhere in sight, most likely trying to come up with his own plan for the problem at hand. He must have left as soon as I summoned her.

"Yes, I am fine. We have work to do, Katsuyu. I need you to send word to Kakashi and Captain Yamato about our location and the situation at hand," two small slugs broke off of her main form and disappeared into the woods, "we need to knock Naruto out to be able to tighten his seal. I am trusting that you have something we can use if only to temporarily blind Naruto, I need to get close," the giant slug made her way over to the battlefield, I focused on my chakra pushing it towards the soles of my feet and my fists.

"Yes, but I will only be able to use it once," I nodded in understanding as I looked between the two ninjas that were a tangle of red and purple limbs. Arrows flew through through the air, but Naruto's tails were able to catch them easily. I knew the only way to get Naruto to lower his guard would be to see me in a position of extreme danger, I took a deep inhale. I shakily let out my breath as I turned towards Sasuke.

"Now Katsuyu," I shouted as I launched myself off her clear form to meet sasuke's susanoo. I concentrated as much chakra as I was able to, and drove it straight into the ribcage of the skeletal like form. I raised my eyes to meet Sasuke who had a look of disbelief and hurt etched into his cold features. I smiled as my fist seemingly cracked the impenetrable force field, but the goal was not to do damage. I knew that I did not possess enough chakra to take either of these two on quite yet. I heard Naruto scream in surprise as Katsuyu's slime worked to temporary blind the jinchuriki. I prepared my body as Sasuke's susanoo managed to grab me around my mid section. I released a blood curdling scream as the bony hand tightened around my body, the sick snapping of bone filled my every sense.

"Let her go," I heard Naruto yell then Sasuke was engulfed in an aura of red. I could only watch in horror as Naruto's fist broke through Sasuke's susanoo like butter and collided with the Uchiha so hard it sent Sasuke barreling towards the earth. I could feel the blood pooling in my mouth as Naruto's calloused hands lowered me to the ground. The cloak that had surrounded him was gone, as the tears began to slide down his cheeks.

"Sakura, you will be alright he won't be able to hurt you anymore," I could only stare as Sai's lithe form appeared behind Naruto. I did not give a word of warning as Sai drove a purple vial straight into the Jinchuriki's neck. Naruto did not make a sound as he dropped to the ground. I felt a sigh of relief, we had done it.

"You are reckless, I don't understand it," I smiled at Sai who had begun tending to my wounds. I had lost too much chakra to be able to heal myself, or even detect what was damaged in my body for that matter.

"I couldn't sit by and watch them hurt each other, they mean everything to me," I could feel the fuzziness of unconsciousness begin to take over my vision as the pain subsided. The only words I remember is Kakashi's voice saying something about Sasuke's condition, but I didn't have the strength to stay awake anymore. I could only hope they were both safe.


	7. Chapter 7

The distinct odor of pine filled my lungs, like little knives digging into my senses. Then came the calming sensation of warmth that seemed to emanate into my entire body, it felt as if I was floating. The morning sun pulled lazily at my eyelids as I fought to open them. Why was I so weak? A feeling of annoyance bubbled up in my chest as I focused my chakra into my limbs and released the barrier holding my body back. I leaped down and landed hard on the wet ground.

"Sakura," I heard Kakashi exclaim as I grabbed a fistful of the earth, my body did not feel right. I slowly opened my eyes to be met with the hard gaze of my sensei, I lazily pushed him out of the way. My legs felt as if I was underwater, even my eyes were slow to move.

"Where are they?" my voice was raspy from neglect. My gaze flickered to Yamato who had an unconscious Naruto thrown over his shoulder, my heart sank. He looked so pale and pathetic that for a moment I feared the worst.

"Sakura, you aren't in any condition to be walking," Kakashi reached for my arm, something inside me snapped as I grabbed his forearm, dug my heels in the ground, and threw him with all of the force I could muster into the closest tree. A panic set in me as I stared over at Sai, Sasuke was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is he?!" I all but yelled at anyone who was willing to listen at the moment, my throat felt as though it was ripping in half. My muscles screamed in protest with each step I took, but it didn't matter. The only image I could see in my head was Sasuke's bloody form embedded in the earth.

"I think you need to calm down," a low baritone voice sounded behind me, a voice I would recognize anywhere. I whirled around to find Sasuke standing there looking back at me with a blank expression on his face. He was bruised and injured, but he was alive.A wave of relief came over me as I gave in once again to my exhaustion. My legs gave way underneath me , but instead of hitting the ground a strong pair of hands caught me.

"You are a strange one," those were the last words I heard as I once again faded into the nothingness in front of me. They were both alive, that was all that mattered to me.

"She has a big heart that has always been her biggest weakness," the words were fuzzy in my head, but the voice was familiar. The beeping of the monitor next to me made my head thump painfully in response. I tried to move, but I quickly found that was completely out of the question.

"What she did on our mission could've killed all of us," a feeling of guilt sat heavy in my chest as I tried to wiggle my fingers, but my body would not listen. Then the pain came, but it was unlike anything I had experienced before. The more I tried to move, the more the pain set in my bones. It was almost as if my muscles were slowly being pulled away from the bone.

"If Sakura had succeeded Sasuke would have killed all of you without batting an eye. After today, I guess she is the only one I can trust anymore," sweet Naruto. I wanted so badly to reach out for him, but as soon as the thought crossed my mind the blackness filled my senses again.

"-memory is gone," fragments of conversation filled my mind, like a distant dream that was just beyond my reach.

"-pay for his crimes," I could not make any sense of the words that flitted around me, but I knew something bad was going to happen.

"-not one of us, not anymore," the cold words echoed off of the nothingness around me, like a forgotten lullaby.

The room was dark when I finally came too, stray beams of moonlight fought through the white curtains. Had it not been for that moonlight, I might've missed the still form that stood vigilantly against the opposing wall. His grey eyes gave him away instantly.

"Neji what is going on?" I hated how my voice cracked like a scared child. A sigh of relief came as I found myself able to move my body. Although it took quite a bit of effort to even sit up in the bed. I looked down to find a plethora of wires and tubes running through my body, it seemed I was in a coma.

"You have been out for several weeks, Sakura. We have taken turns watching over you, waiting for you to wake up," we had never been particularly close, but I appreciated the kind gesture nonetheless. The hospital gown that had been draped over my body felt like sandpaper against my skin.

"What happened to me?" Neji looked as if he was wrestling for just the right words as he took a few steps over to me, handing me a glass of water he had picked up from the dresser. I nodded my thanks as the cold liquid lubricated my vocal cords, and ran down my throat like a stream.

"What is the last thing you remember?" his question took me off guard, what did I remember? I placed the drink down on the table next to me and swung my legs over the side of the bed.

"We were on a mission to get...something. Sai was with me we were hurrying to get somewhere...to someone I think. Then I just remember being in pain, like every bone in my body was breaking," it was frustrating, my mind was like a hazy maze. He nodded in understanding and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You were badly hurt Sakura, and almost every bone in your body _was_ broken," his words hit me hard as I suddenly became aware again of the aches that sat deep in my bones. There was more though, I could tell.

"Who hurt me?" His grey eyes met mine, and his face sat in an unusually hard expression.

"Sasuke," my blood ran cold as my memory suddenly came back to me, he was telling the truth. Sasuke's blood red eyes were so dead, he didn't look like he felt anything anymore. We had lost him, and we only had ourselves to blame.

"Where is he?" Neji's grip on my shoulder tightened as he felt my chakra flare, I did not like the feeling of being restrained.

"He is out of our grasp right now, there were complications. His memory is not what it was, he is currently in a cell. Ibiki has been trying to get information out of him," he was being tortured. Neji did not have to say it, but we both knew what it meant when Ibiki was called in.

"If he has amnesia from the punch Naruto hit him with then torturing him is pointless, even borderline barbaric," Neji huffed in annoyance and narrowed his eyes down at me.

"He has killed our people, Sakura, and nearly tried to kill you. He deserves what he is getting, besides there has to be something in his memory about Madura. He will remember eventually," a pang of anger hit my chest as I struggled to stand beneath Neji's grip on my shoulder.

"Even if it kills him?" I did not have to wait to see the look on Neji's face, I already knew that the village had already cast Sasuke to the wayside. A small voice in the back of my mind was telling me maybe I should too, but it was not right. I grabbed a pile of my clothes that had been left atop the dresser and headed for the bathroom. My muscles were aching from inactivity, but now was not the time to lay back and do nothing. Neji called my name as I stormed from the hospital wing, but I ignored his cries.

I tore off in the direction of the hokage's office, surely Tsunade would listen to reason. I was about to make the final leap for the building when my eyes caught a flash of yellow as a muscular figure knocked me down to the ground hard. I was able to twist in time and land on my feet, but I nearly collapsed from the recoil. I snapped my head up to see a cocky looking Naruto standing in my path. I did not move as he started for me, I was not in any condition to fight him.

"I am so happy you are alright, I missed you so much," I had missed him too, we wrapped our arms around each other and held on as if we were saying goodbye for the last time. Then suddenly more fragments of my memory came back as I was brought back to that night on the cliff, he knew Sasuke was there. I pulled back hard from his embrace, a hurt look crossed his handsome features.

"Naruto...you knew he was there. You made me say that in front of him…" I was not prepared for the laughter that tore through Naruto's throat. He slapped himself in the head like he just heard a good joke.

"I have never made you do anything Sakura, everything you have done with me has been willing," I fixed him with a hard glare, that made that foolish expression drop from his face, "yes, I knew he was there, I could feel his presence. The sooner he found out the better, I wanted to make sure that there was absolutely no doubt of who you belonged to in his thick skull. I am tired of seeing you hurt by him, Sakura. You are happy with me, until he walks back in and messes everything up," I opened my mouth to protest, but he was right. I did care deeply for Naruto, he was possessive and rough, but at the end of the day he wouldn't hurt me the way Sasuke did.

"But Naruto we can't stand by and let them torture him, especially if his memory is gone," Naruto's eyes flashed that dangerous red once again and I felt my chest tighten in anticipation.

"Why not?" I had to pick my next actions very carefully, I would have to speak with Kakashi about Naruto's seal.

"If he does have information about Madura's and Obito's movements then torturing him might further suppress these memories. They could be doing more harm than they realize. The only hope we have is to let him come by these memories on his own before they are lost forever," he still looked unconvinced, "we are at war, Naruto. As much as you might hate it, I won't be truly safe until this fight is over, because not even you are strong enough to protect me. We need Sasuke's memories in order to be able to defeat our enemies," I reached out a hand and brought his face to mine. I lowered my eyes to his lips and bit mine in anticipation.

"Very well Sakura, we will speak to Tsunade about it in the morning. Until that time though you are mine," I smiled in excitement as Naruto pulled away the new clothes I had just put on. His lips crashed against mine as he backed me into the wall of the nearest shop.

"Naruto we can't this is in the middle of the street," I tried to push his hands away, but I was still much to weak for it to make much of a difference.

"Let them look at you be mine," his words set a fire somewhere deep down in my soul, "we are meant to be, and I will protect you at all costs," I nodded and allowed his hands to tear away at the dark fabric that had once served at pants. His teeth nipped at my neck, I could feel him moan in appreciation at my lack of undergarments. I loudly gasped as his fingers inserted themselves into my already wet core, thrusting as if his life depended on it.

"Naruto," I moaned, "it's been so long just fuck me. I want to feel you now, please," in a heartbeat Naruto removed the remaining barriers between me and him, then fully inserted himself into me. The muscles in my stomach tightened in a sickeningly sweet way as I made room for his throbbing member. His blue eyes caught mine as his tongue flickered over his canines, I grabbed his shoulders and brought him closer to me. I moved my hips up to meet his thrusts, enjoying the way it made him slide into me more with each thrust. He held me up against the wall bringing me down hard on his cock.

His hands were grasping at my hips hard enough to bruise, but the pain felt so good mixed with the pleasure. The moans fell from my lips filling the emptiness of the marketplace around us. His hand tore off my blouse with no warning and his mouth greedily took my breast into his mouth one at a time. The cold air made my skin prickle, but his warmth provided a soothing contrast. I could feel my orgasm riding on the surface as his right hand reached beneath me to rub my clit in time with his animalistic strokes.

The stars above me seemed to spin as I threw my head back and let out a deafening moan as he slammed into me as we both came over the edge together. We stayed like that for a long time after. We held onto each other like we were all we had left, and in many ways we were.


	8. Chapter 8

I did not remember finding my way back home the night before, but sure enough when I awoke I was safely tucked into my bed at home. The situation brought a smile to my face, Naruto was sweet when we wanted to be. Naruto, what did I feel for him? I wanted so desperately to say that I loved him, but it was much more complicated than that. He meant a lot to me he was my friend, he has been by my side through so much. My eyes flickered to the picture frame that sat collecting dust on my nightstand. The original team seven grinned back like a shining glimmer of hope. Kakashi-sensei leaned his arms on Naruto and Sasuke who looked both equally annoyed, and I sit in the middle looking happy to just be there. We were so young, so innocent. Those memories almost seemed as if they were from a different lifetime, so much had managed to change. Perhaps it was the world around us that forced us to take different paths in life, but either way a darkness now clung to each member of the original team 7. As much as we hated to admit it, we were responsible for each other and that meant that one person's sins sat on all of our shoulders.

My legs threatened to give out from underneath me as I made my way to the bathroom. The light flickered stubbornly before finally turning on and illuminating the broken girl that stood across from me. Those weeks in the hospital had not been kind to my body, bruises and incisions littered my pale skin. I had lost weight that I could not afford to lose, my curves were barely a shadow of what they were before. The tank top I wore edged up slightly as I ran my hands through my matted hair. Beneath the olive green material, the Uzumaki symbol had faded to a dull pink. I reached into the shower and started the water, eager to wash away the past few weeks from my body. Piece by piece I stripped each piece of clothing from my body, I did not cast a glance back into the mirror. Instead I headed into the shower, I hissed in satisfaction as the warm water poured down my body. I closed my eyes to embrace the feeling when a pair of onyx eyes flashed through my mind, filled with such anger. Sasuke. If my situation with Naruto was not confusing enough, then my feelings towards Sasuke would certainly contribute to the anarchy.

I ran the washcloth down the length of my legs, enjoying the small soap suds that were left in its wake. I loved being with Naruto, physically, but even now I could not call it love. It was something primal, and instinctual. The impending war with Madara had us all on edge doing things that, perhaps in other situations, we would never have entertained otherwise. I had grown so much during these past years thanks to Lady Tsunade, medical jutsu and shifts at the hospital had replaced the little love struck girl that used to be in love with the idea of being in love. I had spent so much of my time pining away after Sasuke that now all I could think was how much of my time I had wasted. Now, my teammates meant everything to me, and I now know the only way to protect them was to get stronger. Maybe all those years ago if I was stronger then I could have made Sasuke stay, and Naruto would've been all the better for it. I have no doubt that growing up with his best friend would've changed the jinchuriki, maybe even made both of them stronger. I was grateful for the water that hid my tears. I did not know how long I sat below the water like that…ten minutes..thirty…time seemed to slip away as I imagined a better world.

The sudden burn of cold water broke me out of my trance, signaling that my warm water had run its course for the time being. I reluctantly shut off the running water and grabbed a blue towel from the top of the shower door. Something in my head shifted as I drifted somewhere far away beneath the last remnants of warm water, my teammates needed me. This time I was the one that needed to be strong for them, everything else came second for now.

Within ten minutes I let the door of my apartment slam behind me, as I took off to fix my team anyway I could. The pink dress I had grabbed was simple and convenient considering the blistering sun that beat down on Konohagakure.

. The market was as busy as usual, but the wind seemed deafening with whispers.

"-I heard he is back."

"-I hope Tsunade never lets him see the light of day."

"-he is a traitor."

It took every ounce of myself control not to whirl around on these old wash women and tell them exactly what I thought about their half-witted conversations, but I figured that would cause more problems then it was worth. I simply shook my head, ignored the stares, and carried on towards the Hokage's office. I did not flinch as a familiar white-haired ninja suddenly joined my side, his face buried in his favorite book.

"I did not expect to you so soon, Sensei," my tone was quiet, but polite. There were times he really did seem to be everywhere at once.

"I could say the same thing about you, Sakura. You only recently got out of the hospital, are you sure you are up to walking around?" I had always found Kakashi's mother bird attitude to be endearing, but he had to realize sooner or later we were going to be flying the nest.

"I cannot sit back while our team is in turmoil. Neji updated me on Sasuke's situation, what about Naruto? Has there been any progress with his seal?" he seemed to perk up when he heard the determination in my face, I did not miss the curious glance he tossed my way over the top of his book.

"While you were…unconscious, Sai was able to subdue Naruto and we were able to get a better look at his seal. Without Jeriah or any Uzumaki clan members really left it is difficult to figure out a way to tighten it, we were able to add an additional seal that should help us to control the bits of the tailed beast's chakra from leaking out. The fact is that Naruto is going to need to find a way to handle the beast on his own, our seal is not going to be able to hold up forever. With Madara already collecting tailed beasts from all over the lands, we might need to be able to wield the nine-tail's power," I was surprised at Kakashi's open honesty, usually he was vague and spoke in riddles.

"In order to be able to control that chakra Naruto is going to have to be able to talk to someone who has been through the same thing," Yamato's sudden chakra presence took me by surprise as he suddenly appeared on the other side of Kakashi.

"Pardon my interruption, but Lady and Tsunade just had a similar conversation. She didn't want to admit it, but she too thinks it might be our most useful weapon in the fight against Madara. That is why Naruto and I have been assigned to go on a special Island with Lord Bee so Naruto can learn to control his chakra. Sakura," I swung my eyes to the captain, "Naruto has refused to leave until he gets to speak with you. I would appreciate it if you would go to him as soon as you are able. Kakashi there are also a few things I wished to discuss with you as well," I knew this was Yamato's subtle attempt at letting Kakashi know there were important things that I was not privy to hear. I nodded towards the two leaders of team seven and headed down the winding path, everyone knew where Naruto went before a mission.

Sure enough as soon as I reached the familiar shop I saw the blonde haired ninja sitting next to a very confused looking Sai. Roughly ten empty bowls of ramen sat before them. I took a deep breath then headed towards the empty seat on the other side of Naruto.

"How's it going, boys?" Naruto whirled towards me with a mouth full of ramen peeking out from his childish grin.

"I was wondering if you were going to show up before I left, Sakura," I returned Naruto's warm smile, Sai still seemed to be in shock over how many bowls of ramen Naruto had managed to devour.

"Sorry, Naruto. Captain Yamato just now told me about your mission with Lord Bee, it sounds like you are going to have quite a busy few months ahead of you," his blue eyes sparkled as he nodded his head in agreement.

"Yep it is going to be some of the hardest training, but I'm excited. If it helps me protect you then it's worth it," it was such a sweet statement, that I could feel a slight blush crept up cheeks.

"I read in a book that when your face turns red it means you are embarrassed. If that is the case, Ugly, then I will be waiting outside the hut if you and Naruto are sharing a romantic moment. When you are done I will accompany you to Lady Tsunades office," Sai skillfully dodged the right hand I threw his way.

"You would think after all this time he would learn some matters," I mainly spoke to myself, but I noticed the way Naruto's eyes glared at Sai as he made his leave.

"I am going to miss you Sakura, I wish that you could come with me," his tone was almost begging, it did not suit him at all. I ruffled his hair in an affectionate gesture, I was surprised when he snatched it. He brought my knuckles to his lips and placed a kiss affectionately along my pale skin.

"I will miss you too, Naruto, please be safe," I pulled my hand back, perhaps a bit too quickly judging from the look of annoyance that flickered across his features.

"You will be here when I get back, right Sakura?" I knew what he was asking me, it was a dangerous question. He knew I was going to be in the village, but he wanted to know if I would still be here waiting for him. As much as it hurt my heart, I did not know the answer to his question.

"I have a lot to do here with Lady Tsunade. Sasuke needs his memory restored if we have any hope of extracting information," I was taken off-guard at the menacing chuckle that fell from Naruto's lips.

"Oh I'm sure you will help Sasuke recover his memories, maybe give him some new ones too," before I could think about my actions, I slapped Naruto across the face, hard. I was thankful the shopkeeper was not in front at the moment. My eyes followed the trail of blood that fell from his lips before his tongue flickered out to catch the falling beads.

"How dare you? Sasuke is our friend and teammate, no matter what Naruto, it is our duty to save him, even if it is from himself. What is going on between us has nothing to do with him. We have a war coming, perhaps we should be focusing on that," my words were bitter as they fell out of my mouth, but he deserved it. I was beyond the point of tiptoeing around him anymore. I did wait for his response as I brushed past him to meet Sai who was no doubt getting impatient by this point.

"If he touches you, then he will regret it," it was a warning that much was clear, and I knew Naruto well enough to know he always followed through in his word. It was his ninja way after all.

"Lets get out of here," I whispered to Sai who stumbled after me as I tore out of the noodle shop.

"Did that not go as planned?" Even after all of this time I could not tell one of Sai's tones from the other, coming from anyone else I would have slapped them for the sarcastic comment.

"Before we reach Lady Tsunade's office, I wanted to apologize for what happened on our mission. It was incredibly irresponsible for me to possibly sabotage our mission, any one of us could have easily ended up dead. I do not expect you to trust me again and I deserve the punishment I will receive," Sai cast a curios glance in my direction.

"Why do you think you will receive a punishment?" I narrowed my eyes at his question, was it another one of his tests?

"Surely, Lady Tsunade is not going to be pleased with me altering the solution in the vial. It was a stupid move," Sai shook his head as he kept pace with me.

"I did not tell her, nor am I going to. You are right it was stupid," he studied my surprised look, "I take it you are curious as to why I have not said anything. When I saw you laying there bleeding and broken, I felt fear for the first time since I can remember. You are my teammate, Sakura, your health and wellbeing is the most important thing. You learned from your mistake, so I am satisfied with your actions up till this point to redeem yourself," I did not bother to hide the smile that found its way to my face.

I was so busy thinking about what Sai said that I did not even notice that we suddenly found ourselves at Tsunade's office. A deep heaviness sat between us, I was going to help Sasuke even if it was the last thing I did. With a heavy sigh I pushed the door open to be met with a pair of onyx eyes.


End file.
